Implementing the Hate Crimes Law
Justin
http://transgenderequality.wordpress.com/2010/02/25/implementing-the-hate-crimes-law/Yesterday, Lisa Mottet (Director of the Transgender Civil Rights Project at The Task Force) and I led a training on gender identity for members of the Community Relations Service of the Department of Justice. These are the folks who go in to mediate when communities are faced with tensions or violence; up until the passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act last year, they were restricted to situations of conflict that centered on race or national origin. The new law allows them to add gender, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity to their jurisdiction. This is the first time the federal government has extended protections for transgender people and one of the very first positive mentions of sexual orientation. They have been meeting for trainings and conversations so that they can take on these new responsibilities well.
Over my five years with NCTE, we've worked to pass gender-identity inclusive laws and now suddenly we have a new task: working with the government to implement pro-lgbt legislation. Wow ... what a different experience to be on the side of putting a law into practice, not just trying to get it through Congress.
